Gogo (Intelsat) · GEO Ku-band Satellite
Gogo 2Ku
Gogo 2Ku is the Ku-band satellite WiFi behind much of American Airlines' international fleet and Delta's international widebodies. Faster than legacy Gogo ATG but well behind Starlink and Viasat Ka.
Which airlines have Gogo 2Ku?
1 airline with confirmed installations. Coverage = aircraft with Gogo 2Ku ÷ total tracked fleet.
Gogo 2Ku powers WiFi on much of American Airlines' fleet (international widebodies plus many narrowbodies), Delta's international widebodies (767, A330, A350), Air Canada widebodies, Aeromexico, and Iberia. Intelsat bought Gogo's commercial aviation division in 2020, so passengers see Gogo branding while the underlying capacity is sometimes called Intelsat 2Ku on operator disclosures. Air France-KLM is migrating away from 2Ku to Viasat and Starlink. Delta plans to upgrade its international widebodies to Viasat Ka-band. American has a T-Mobile partnership subsidizing 2Ku access for AAdvantage members on participating flights, which softens the cost but doesn't fix the speed.
Strengths
- Global coverage including transoceanic and polar routes
- Deployed across multiple major carriers
- OK for messaging, email, and standard-def streaming
Drawbacks
- Speeds are capped around 25 Mbps
- Latency near 700ms kills video calls
- Slows down on busy flights
- Paid on most carriers
- Being phased out for newer systems
How fast is Gogo 2Ku in flight?
Around 25 Mbps download, latency near 700ms. Standard-def video streams fine, HD often buffers. Email, messaging, and web browsing work. Zoom and FaceTime barely work because of the lag. On a packed widebody with 200+ active devices, the per-passenger share drops sharply. 2Ku was best-in-class when it launched in 2015. Viasat Ka beats it by 3-5x today, and Starlink beats it by 10x.
Is Gogo 2Ku free?
Mostly paid. American charges $8-25 per flight, though AAdvantage members get free access on select T-Mobile-partner flights. Delta charges for international widebody 2Ku. Air Canada offers free messaging for Aeroplan members and charges for full internet. The paid pricing is part of why airlines are phasing 2Ku out.
Gogo 2Ku FAQ
Which airlines have Gogo 2Ku?
American (international widebodies and many narrowbodies), Delta (international 767, A330, A350), Air Canada, Aeromexico, Iberia, and Vietnam Airlines. American has the largest 2Ku footprint.
Is Gogo 2Ku any good?
Mediocre. Better than the air-to-ground Gogo ATG it replaced, but Viasat is 3-5 times faster and Starlink is 10 times faster. Standard-def streaming and browsing work. HD video and video calls are a struggle.
Is Gogo 2Ku free?
Usually paid, $8-25 per flight on American and Delta. AAdvantage members get free 2Ku on participating American + T-Mobile flights starting 2024. Air Canada has a free messaging tier.
How fast is Gogo 2Ku WiFi?
Around 25 Mbps download with 700ms latency. Streams standard-def video, buffers HD. Video calls don't really work.
Why is Gogo 2Ku slow?
Older Ku-band satellites with high GEO latency, plus limited capacity per beam shared across the whole cabin. Newer Ka-band systems (Viasat) have 5-10 times more usable capacity, and LEO systems (Starlink) skip the latency problem entirely.
Is Gogo 2Ku being replaced?
Yes. Air France is moving to Starlink. Delta plans Viasat for widebodies. Air Canada is partially switching to Starlink. American hasn't named a successor yet but is testing alternatives. Most 2Ku will be gone by 2028.
Gogo 2Ku vs Viasat, which is faster?
Viasat is 2-3 times faster on typical aircraft and free on more carriers (JetBlue, Delta domestic). If you can pick the flight, Viasat is the better experience.
Looking up your flight?
Enter a tail number to see the WiFi installed on a specific aircraft.
WiFi tail lookup →